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Universal Animation Studios
Tom Ruzicka Stuart Snyder |products = Animated films |owners = Comcast |num_employees = 720 (2018) |parent = Universal Pictures (NBCUniversal) |divisions = Universal Toon Studios }} Universal Animation Studios (UAS), also referred to as Universal Animation, is an American animation studio that is a division of Universal Pictures, a subsidiary of Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. Founded on May 23, 1991, it is based in North Hollywood, California and creates animated feature films, short films, and television specials for Universal. The studio has produced 28 feature films, from Romeo and Juliet (1994) to Computeropolis: The Deep Web (2018). Universal Animation Studios currently maintains its original feature animation studio in North Hollywood, California, as well as a satellite studio in Glendale which produces television series, direct-to-video and occasional theatrical animated feature films. The studio was originally formed as Universal Feature Animation in 1991 by some of Gingo Animation's feature animation alumni, while another animation division Universal Cartoon Studios was formed to produce television series and direct-to-video films. As of August 2017, Universal Animation Studios' feature films have grossed a combined total of $90.5 billion worldwide, with an average gross of $597.2 million per film. Three of its films—''Paradoria'' (2015), Imagimals (2016), and Computeropolis 2 (2007)—are among 50 highest-grossing films of all time, and ten of its films are among the 50 highest-grossing animated films of all time, with Paradoria being the third all-time highest in the latter category. The studio has received two Academy Awards, as well as 41 Emmys, and numerous Annie Awards, and multiple Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. History 1991–93: Founding The original Walter Lantz Productions cartoon studio was closed down by Universal Studios in 1972 due to the rising costs and declining returns of short subject production. However, before Universal restarted its animation division in 1991, Universal released its first three animated films, such as An American Tail in 1986, The Land Before Time in 1988, and Jetsons: The Movie in 1990. In late 1990, Gingo Animation co-founder Michael Wildshill met with then-President of MCA Sid Sheinberg to discuss the creation of a feature animation division, an offer which Wildshill immediately accepted. Universal Feature Animation was officially established on May 23, 1991 to produce theatrically released animated feature films to rival Disney's animated features. John Cohen was brought in to head the new division, which was set up in North Hollywood, California, where Gingo is also located. To build the talent base, Wildshill brought over artists from Gingo and its feature animation department, while Cohen recruited some of the staff from Walt Disney Feature Animation. Meanwhile, Universal Cartoon Studios opened its doors in 1991 as a satellite studio in Glendale to produce television series and direct-to-video films for Universal. That same year, the studio produced its very first production, which is an animated television series based on Back to the Future films airing on CBS from 1991 to 1992. Some of Gingo's artists came to Universal Feature Animation in early 1992, with the rest doing so in the following year. 1994–2001: Initial success Coming soon! 2002–07: Conversion to computer animation Upon the unsuccessful release of Thieves and Kings, Universal laid off most of the employees at the Feature Animation studio in North Hollywood, downsizing it to one unit and beginning plans to move into fully computer animated films. A handful of employees were offered positions doing computer animation. Subsequently, on September 17, 2002, a week before Monster & Me, Universal Feature Animation officially announced they were becoming a fully CGI studio, now with a staff of 460 people and began selling off all of its traditional animation equipment. More coming soon! 2008–10: Restructuring and continued success In 2008, Universal announced a deal with an up-and-coming animation studio named Illumination Entertainment, positioning it as NBCUniversal's family entertainment arm within its feature animation group consisting of Universal Animation. This meant Universal would be able to release as many as three animated films in a year divided between the two studios. Many felt this decision was made to help Universal to establish itself as a competitor to Disney's feature animation group, which consists of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Michael Wildshill later explained that after the merger, to maintain the studios' separate identities and cultures (notwithstanding the fact of common ownership and common senior management), he and the Universal Animation executives "drew a hard line" that each studio was solely responsible for its own projects and would not be allowed to borrow personnel from or lend tasks out to the other; the rule ensures that each studio maintains "local ownership" of projects and "can be proud of its own work". Thus, for example, when Universal Animation had issues with Gabriel Garza (2011) and Illumination with The Lorax (2012), "nobody bailed them out", and each studio was required "to solve the problem on its own", even when they knew there were personnel at the other studio who, theoretically, could have helped. More coming soon! 2011–present: Further expansion and future projects Coming soon! Partnerships Illumination Since 2008, Universal Animation Studios and Illumination have been separate sister companies owned by Universal and had a close relationship. Many members worked extensively with both studios. They have made similar types of animated films. For example, Universal Animation's Computeropolis franchise and Illumination's Despicable Me franchise both competed as Universal's character-heavy computer-animated films with imaginative environments. During this period, Illumination also had commercial success with the two ''Despicable Me'' sequels (and its spin-off Minions), The Lorax, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing, while Universal Animation's success continued with Gabriel Garza (and its sequels), Quest, Paradoria, Luna & Zak, Imagimals, and Lix; however, some of Universal Animation's films—such as Plucky Chicken—and Illumination's The Lorax and Minions received mixed reviews but they were box office successes. According to resources, both studios were intended to prompt Universal to establish a hugely successful track record of animated films from the two studios that would compete both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios—both owned by The Walt Disney Company—in feature animation; nevertheless, Universal became the second film studio to operate two feature animation units following Disney. Much like Disney Animation and Pixar, both studios often share common ownership and senior management but the deal was structured so that Illumination and Universal Animation would operate as completely separate studios under the Universal corporate umbrella so that that each studio is to remain solely responsible for its own projects and is not allowed to borrow personnel from or lend tasks out to the other. DreamWorks Animation On August 22, 2016, NBCUniversal acquired competing studio DreamWorks Animation, appointing it a sister studio to both Universal Animation and Illumination. Productions Feature films : Further information: List of Universal Animation Studios films Released films Upcoming films Films in development Television specials Short films Franchises Accolades Academy Awards Coming soon! Golden Globe Awards Coming soon! Annie Awards Coming soon! Critics' Choice Awards Coming soon! Kids' Choice Awards Coming soon! Gallery Coming soon! Trivia *Universal Animation Studios is often described by fans as the Universal counterpart of Walt Disney Animation Studios while Illumination is described as the Universal counterpart of Pixar. *Unique for an animation studio, every one of Universal Animation's feature films so far features a younger (human) protagonist (mostly a young boy or a teenage boy). See also *List of unproduced Universal Pictures animated shorts and feature films *List of animation studios owned by NBCUniversal *Universal Toon Studios *Universal Television Animation *Illumination Entertainment *DreamWorks Animation *Universal Interactive Studios *Gingo Animation Category:Companies Category:Universal Studios Category:NBCUniversal Category:Comcast Category:Universal Animation Studios